


different colors (we carry each other)

by prettydizzeed



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: ADHD Magnus Bane, Autistic Alec Lightwood, Disability, Fluff, M/M, Neurodiversity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettydizzeed/pseuds/prettydizzeed
Summary: An infinity sign, each color fading into the next one, the visible light spectrum chasing its own tail across Alec’s quadriceps.“I didn’t know runes could be rainbow,” Magnus says, raising an eyebrow, and Alec swallows.“It’s not a rune. It’s a tattoo.”
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 154





	different colors (we carry each other)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arekiras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arekiras/gifts).



> happy birthday to the light of my life!!!!! ilysm & our adhd/autism solidarity means the world to me. this is just some short fluff for the day-of since the mail means your present will be delayed <333
> 
> title is from Different Colors by Walk the Moon

Alec, as a rule, never wears shorts, but he steals a pair of Jace’s for this and smuggles them back to his and Magnus’s apartment. The irony isn’t lost on him that he’s going to quite a lot of effort to manufacture a casual atmosphere to bring this up—well, to get Magnus to bring it up. Which he does, setting down his mug of tea when he walks into the bedroom and stopping immediately when he sees. 

An infinity sign, each color fading into the next one, the visible light spectrum chasing its own tail across Alec’s quadriceps. 

“I didn’t know runes could be rainbow,” Magnus says, raising an eyebrow, and Alec swallows.

“It’s not a rune. It’s a tattoo.” 

“May I?” Magnus asks, and when Alec nods, he sits down beside Alec on the bed and lightly traces his finger along the design. “It’s lovely, Alexander.” 

“It means, uh. It’s a symbol for neurodiversity, like, autistic pride. Celebrating that everybody’s brains are different.”

Magnus’s soft smile contains a dozen different emotions at once: a wry, righteous anger at the need for such symbols to begin with; a protective flash of fear at the thought of another Shadowhunter seeing it, saying something discourteous; an unfamiliar but not unwelcome joy, even pride. And somewhere, while basking in the comfort of knowing this man so well, Alec notices something else: self-recognition.

Magnus must be able to trace Alec’s thoughts as easily as Alec can his, because he picks at the bedspread with his deep purple nails and says, “I looked at the articles you sent me. I dearly hope you weren’t going for subtle.”

Alec laughs. “When have you ever known me to be subtle?”

They share a smirk that turns gentle, remembering the first wedding they shared. 

“Fair enough,” Magnus agrees, and he swallows. Waves a hand. “Back in my day, we just called it eccentric.”

“Oh, you’re still that,” Alec says, grinning, and Magnus laughs. Good—he clearly isn’t having too much of an identity crisis over it, despite the possibly rocky start. “There just also might be a few acronyms that are useful.”

“Wasn’t the point of half of those articles how the acronym presents a deeply skewed picture? ‘Attention deficit’ is outright inaccurate in most circumstances, and ‘hyperactivity’ is far less relevant than emotional dysregulation—” Magnus breaks off when he notices Alec’s expression. “What?”

“Nothing,” Alec says, shaking his head. He’s still smiling fondly. “I’m just glad they helped.”

“They did. Thank you. Of course, while I do have a therapist, she’s a vampire from, oh, the late ‘80s, maybe, and not exactly with the times. But it’s nice to have—a community, you know? The assurance that someone else gets it.”

“Yeah, I do know,” Alec says.

“And you do get it,” Magnus adds, and leans his head on Alec’s shoulder while Alec laces their fingers together, resting their clasped hands on top of the rainbow—a promise, wasn’t it? a symbol of hope—on his skin.


End file.
